Charles c



No. 6l9,823. Patented Feb. 2|, I899.

c. 0. com.

WIG FOUNDATION.

[Application filed Feb. 16, 1897.)

(ModeL) NITIED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES o. corm, on LONDON, ENGLAND.

wle FOUNDATION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 619,823, dated February 21, 1899.

Application filed February 16, 1897- Serial No. 623,700. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES CLEMENT Co- TIN, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at London, England, have invented an Improved Wig Foundation, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention has for its object the manufacture of a light and invisible wig foundation which affords free ventilation and is more comfortable generally than those hitherto made.

Heretofore wig foundations have been made with their outlines formed of ribbon and with ribbon passing from the edge in various directions and connected to another ribbon passing over the top of the head and down by the ears round to the back near the neck. These ribbons were sewed to pieces of machine-made tulle, cut to shape to fit the various parts ofthe foundation, and metal springs were applied over the temples and on the neck. Now according to my invention I dispense with the ribbon and machine-made tulle and make the wig foundation by hand to the shape required of human hair, horsehair, and other fiber, such as silkwormgut and camels hair. It is made on a block of the shape of a human head, which I cover with sheet indiarubber. From one to four human hairs (or the equivalent of other fiber) are worked together to make a hair net on the block with an ordinary crochet-hook, either very small mesh or somewhat larger mesh being made, as may be required, the small mesh being used for wigs for bald heads and the larger mesh for heads on which is more or less hair, but not enough to prevent the necessity for a wig.

A wig foundation made according to my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the skeleton, and Fig. 2 is a back view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side View of one form of the completed foundation, the network being shown diagrammatically and with larger meshes in proportion than would be actually used.

a is a thread composed of horsehair or of three or four human or other hairs or fiber, which forms the front edge of the foundation, passing over the forehead, down the temples, over and behind the ears, and down and round to the back of the neck.

I) is a thread composed of horsehair or other equivalent hair or fiber, which passes over the top of the head, down the sides, andround to the back of the neck some little distance above the thread a.

Two threads c,of silkworm-gut,are arranged one over each temple, and two others, d, are arranged one on each side of the neck to ob- 6o tain the same result as the metal springs hitherto used.

Two pieces of silkworm gut e or other equivalent fiber are arranged on the top of the head, extending from the thread ato the thread I), so as to form a space at the top of the head of two to four inches wide and three to five inches deep, or a continuous thread may be used extending from the front end of one line e round the aforesaid space to the front end of the other line 6.

In the wig foundation represented in the drawings another thread f is arranged at the back, forming a circular space 9, which may be of larger or smaller dimensions, as may be 7 5 desired. The two ends of this thread f ex tend down and divide the back; but the two parts of the foundation at such part may be connected together by sewing with a thread of two or three human hairs or their equiva- 8c lent.

If desired, instead of using two separate threads at and f to form the outline of the wig foundation shown in the drawings a single continuous thread may be used.

h h are two pieces of very fine elastic, one on each side of the neck, to enable the two parts of the foundation at the back of the neck to be connected together, if desired, and to form springs.

There are generally three forms of wig foundation made, one being limited to the space inclosed by the threads at and b, a second being of the form shown in the drawingsthat is to say, covering the entire head, 95 with the exception of a rather large round open space g at the backand a third of like shape, but leaving a smaller round open space g.

In manufacturing my improved wig foun- 10o dation of the form shown in the drawings I first pin the threads at and f to the india-rubber covered block, and then commencing with one of such threads I make by hand a hair net over the entire space inclosed by said threads and. connecting the latter together, as shown in Fig. 3, and, if desired, the hair net may also be made over the circular space When it is desired by the wearer to make a parting, either at the middle or at either side, I make the mesh of the net smaller over the top of the head in the space to be afterward bounded by the threads at, c, and b. I then pin over such net the thread I), and I sew the threads e e and springs c d to the net, preferably with hair, and I use the loose ends of the threads forming such springs to connect the thread I) to the net by passing them through the net and around the thread 1),. as in sewing. The outer ends of the threads 0 d are placed underneath the thread a and extend a short distance beyond it; but the other parts of said springs are brought up above the net. \Vhen the wig foundation is so far completed, I stiffen and strengthen the same while on the block by the application thereto of a suitable varnishsuch, for instance, as white hard spirit varnishthe india-rubber coating on the block being used to facilitate the stripping of the wig foundation therefrom without damage after the varnish has dried.

These wig foundations may be made of any shade of hair or other fiber, as may be desired.

I prefer to soak the hair or other fiber employed in the manufacture of my improved wig foundation in a solution of ammonia, spirits of wine, or other spirit or other nonsyrupy alcoholic liquor. By this means the hair or other fiber is rendered stronger and more elastic.

\Vhen the wig foundation has been removed from the block on which it has been made, the two pieces h, of very fine elastic, are threaded through the network on the neck, one on each side.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is- I 1. A wig foundation, formed of astrong thread a, composed of one or more hairs or other similar fibers, said thread passing across the front of the foundation in a somewhat horizontal direction, then downward at each side, thence each side following a curve in a rearward and downward direction and then passing in an approximately horizontal direction to the center of the back of the foundation, a similar strong thread I) passing over the top of the wig foundation in a forward direction, thence in a downward direction at each side and finally in a rearward approximately horizontal direction, a similar strong thread f describing a circle in the center of the thread I), the two ends of which thread f pass downward and forward from the lower portion of said circle, each end being connected to the ends of the threads a and l) on the respective sides, threads 6 of silkwormgut or other similar flexible fiber connecting the ends of the upper approximately horizontal portions of the threads at and b on the respective sides, threads 0 of silkworm-gut or similar flexible fiber connecting the upper portions of the rearwardly and downwardly extending portions of the threads to with the centers of the downwardlyextending portions of the threads b on the respective sides, and threads (Z of silkworm-gut or other similar flexible fiber connecting the lower portions of the rearwardly and downwardly extending portions of the threads at with the lower portions of the downwardly-extending portions of the threads I) on the respective sides, and an inserted network-filling made in one piece of finer hair connecting firmly together the threads at, b and f and the springs c and (Z, substantially as specified.

2. A wig foundation, formed of a strong thread, a, composed of one or more hairs or other similar fibers, said thread passing across the front of the foundation in a somewhat horizontal direction, then downward at each side, thence each side following a curve in a rearward and downward direction and then passing in an approximately horizontal direction to the center of the back of the foundation, a similar strong thread Z) passing over the top of the wig foundation in a forward direction, thence in a downward direction at each side, and finally in a rearward approximately horizontal direction, a similar strong thread f describing a circle in the center of the thread I), the two ends of which thread f pass downward and forward from the lower portion of said circle, each end being connected to the ends of the threads a and I) on the respective sides, threads e of silkwormgut or other similar flexible fiber connecting the ends of the upper approximately horizontal portions of the threads at and b on the respective sides, threads 0 of silkworm-gut or similar flexible fiber connecting the upper portions of the rearwardly and downwardly extending portions of the threads (4 with the centers of the downwardly-extending portions of the threads I) on the respective sides, and threads (Z- of silkworm-gut or other similar flexible fiber connecting the lower portions of the rearwardly and downwardly extending portions of the threads at with the lower portions of the downwardly-extending portions of the threads I) on the respective sides, and two fine elastic threads h connected to the lower back portion of each side of the foundation, and an inserted networkfilling made in one piece of finer hair connecting firmly together the threads at, b and f, and the springs c and (I, substantially as specified.

CH. C, COTIN. Witnesses:

CLAUDE K. MILLS, WM. GIRLING. 

